May 17, 2011

With all of the talk about player safety, head-shots and goal scoring going down, it is not time to get rid of the trapezoid? Since the lockout the NHL has not allowed goalies to play the puck behind the goal line unless they were in the trapezoid. Getting rid of the trapezoid would allow goalies to help their defensemen more. They could leave the net to freely play the puck to save their defensemen from the rush of fore checkers, and keep them from the brutal zone behind the net where many blindside hits occur. On top of that many goalies are not very good at playing the puck.

If you watched Game One of the Western Conference Final on Sunday, you get what I am talking about. Roberto Luongo turned a simple dump in, into an unassisted goal for Joe Thornton (view it here : http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2010030321). Anyone that has put skates on could have scored that one. Anti Niemi’s giveaway cost the Sharks the tying goal when he left the net to move it up the boards, right to a waiting Raffi Torres (view it here : http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2010030321). Many goalies egos are too big to just leave the puck alone. They drive their coaches crazy and too often leave themselves out of position because of their need to be involved.

Goalies like Martin Brodeur, Marty Turco and Carey Price are great at helping their teammates. They start breakouts with a lead pass, or move the puck up the boards in a timely manner to save a defenseman from a crushing oncoming hit. Most goalies are not so good at it, especially the European ones. Giving goalies free reign will help correct a slew of problems for the NHL. It’s time to let the skilled goalies excel and the ones that are miserable at handling the puck fail.